The #1 Middlebury men's soccer team cut the lead to one with 11:24 remaining, but could not find the equalizer in a 2-1 loss to #9 Williams in Tuesday's regular-season finale.
HIGHLIGHTS
- The Ephs tallied the first chance with 2:33 elapsed. Finn Convery settled a throw-in and fired a bid that pushed inches wide of the left post.
- Charlie Johnson flicked a pass to darting Will Sawin in the seventh minute. The forward put a shot toward the lower-right portion of the goal that goalie Kai Darrell tracked and smothered.
- Middlebury had consecutive golden opportunities in the 20th minute. Hamin Kim sent a curling corner kick, which trickled toward the top of the box. Orlando Cavaceppi-Dove sizzled an attempt that Darrell punched in the air. Sawin rose for a header flick, but Darrell snatched the ball to deny the goal line bid.
- The Panthers nearly took the lead with 50:33 elapsed. Kim laced a bid that bounced off a Williams defender and into the center of the box. Dugan flicked the ball through traffic that was cleared off the line by Eph defender Leon Ma to keep the contest scoreless.
- Williams turned up the heat about three minutes later. Nick Appleton bent a free kick from the left side that tailed toward the center of the crossbar. Panther goalie JD Ball rose over a sea of purple and white and punched the ball over for a highlight-reel save.
- The visitors broke through in the 65th minute on an Olimpico goal off the foot of Kellan Grace that sailed into the right side of the net.
- Dugan sent a forward pass to Quinn Pappendick for a doorstep chance toward the right post just 3:44 later, but Darrell slid to his right and made the fingertip save.
- The Ephs made it 2-0 with 17:52 remaining. Grace flicked a pass to a darting Ruehlemann, who maneuvered around a defender and Ball before tapping the ball into the net.
- After a Williams foul in the box, the navy and white were granted a penalty kick in the 79th minute. Will Sawin stepped up and buried the bid into the net to trim the deficit to one.
- The tally jolted the Panther attack, who earned a corner with 1:24 remaining. The ball deflected out to Cavaceppi-Dove for a strike that sailed over the goal.
- Middlebury had one final chance with a free kick in the waning seconds. Dugan sent a tailing pass to an unmarked Ball near the top of the goalie box. The goalie got a head on it, but the flick pulled inches from the right post.
NOTES
- Sawin scored his 11th goal of the campaign and extended his tally streak to three consecutive contests.
- The foes met for the 79th time in men's soccer.
The NESCAC Men's Soccer Tournament seedings will be announced Wednesday morning after the final regular-season conference contest.
